EDUCATIONAL SHEET

PRESENTATION

TEACHE NOTES

This short film is part of a collaboration project between

Cinescuela and the language program of the Servicio Nacional

de Aprendizaje SENA, with the aim of creating film cycles

used within the framework of bilingualism training.

This intense short film raises awareness about

communication skills in the professional environment, but

especially about empathy and human connection through

language.

SU ECTS

Civic education, Social sciences, Languages and Humanities

Bilingualism, Interpreter, Home office, Translation, New

Year, Empathy, Communication skills, Emergency

S NO SIS

On the last day of the year, a dispirited work-at-home phone

interpreter has her moribund life turned upside down when

she answers an unexpected emergency call.

TECHNICAL SHEET

* Genre: Fiction

* Written and directed by Brandon Grötzinger, Wander Theunis

* Director of hotography - Jeroen Kiers

* Sound - Matthijs Klijn

* Post-production - Augustine Huijsser

* roducer - Daniel Klijn

E O DS

PRESENTATION

AC NO LED E ENT

ELATED IL S

To the surface 2020Directed by Gnarly Bay

The Kid 1921Directed by Charles Chaplin

Bon voyage 2012Directed by Fabio Friedli

-NETHERLANDS FILM FESTIVAL 2018-FILMBATH 2018 (UK)-EINDHOVEN FILM FESTIVAL 2018 (NL) (*EFF Award - Best Actress)-SHORTCUTZ AMSTERDAM AWARDS 2019 (*WINNER* International Audience Award, Best Screenplay, Best Actress)-INTERNATIONAL FILMFEST EMDEN-NORDERNEY 2019 (DE) (*WINNER* 2nd Prize - East Frisian Short Film Award)-EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL OF LILLE 2019 (FR)-CURTAS VILA DO CONDE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019 (PT)-SCHNIT WORLDWIDE SHORTFILMFESTIVAL 2019 (CH/AR/EG/ZA/HK/RU/CR/US)-EYE FILM INSTITUTE NETHERLANDS SELECTED DUTCH SHORTS 2019-BRUSSELS INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 2019-FILMFEST BREMEN 2018 (DE)-FENÊTRES SUR COURTS DIJON 2018 (FR)-COURT EN SCÈNE FESTIVAL DU COURT MÉTRAGE TROYES 2018 (FR)-VÄSTERÅS FILMFESTIVAL 2018 (SE)-SEDICICORTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2018 (IT)-INDEPENDENT DAYS: INTERNATIONAL FILMFESTIVAL KARLSRUHE 2019 (DE)-INSHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2019 (UK/PL)-ROTTERDAMS OPEN DOEK 2018-2019

-GRAND OFF - WORLD INDEPENDENT SHORT FILM AWARDS WARSAW 2018-NEWFILMMAKERS LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL 2018-ARCTIC MOVING IMAGE & FILM FESTIVAL 2018 (NO)-SHOTS: INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2018 (SI)-AMARCORT FILM FESTIVAL’S AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 SHORTS 2019 (IT)-ONE NIGHT FILMS TOKYO 2018-EN PLEIN PUBLIC 2019 (NL)-MANIFESTO FILM FESTIVAL 2019 (NL)

IL

HAT IS THE STO

E

H N is a short fiction film describing a

typical day's work for elen, a Dutch woman who works

in a call center translating languages for people with

different needs. On that particular day, Helen receives a

call from a security guard at an airport in Holland

requesting a translation for a Greek man who intends to

travel without the corresponding document.

The Greek man, whose name is Chrístos, is desperate to

travel because his son was involved in a car accident and

could die. Through her understanding and advice, Helen

manages to give Chrístos a clue as to where his

document might be. The man finds the passport, which

allows him to travel to see his son on New ear's Eve.

ACTI ITIES

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elen tries to calm Chrístos down to see if he can remember where his document might be.

What argument does Chrístos give Helen to justify

that he should be able to fly?

What suggestions does Helen give Chrístos to help

him keep his cool?

Wy does Helen identify with Chrístos?

In a short text, answer the following question:

Do you think Helen goes beyond what her job

requires of her?

Argue your answer based on what happens in the

short film.

IL

HO IS TOLD

C

What makes this short film so special is that we, as the audience,

never leave the room where elen works. As we listen to the

different conversations and reach the climax of the film, we have the

opportunity to imagine what is happening on the other end of the

phone.

Although we stay in the room the whole time, the film doesn't feel

slow or repetitive. It generates an excellent pace supported by

engaging dialogue, exciting situations and believable performances

(also over the phone).

We see a visual glimpse of elen's world. Her dreams, her notion of

the future, the care placed into her role as a mother, the pictures of

her graduation when she was ready to do amazing things and even

her embarrassment when someone recognizes her voice while doing

this ordinary job . The camera accesses her universe and shows us

just enough to feel the story more convincingly.

Another issue that arises is sound. The film structure relies heavily on

the actors' vocal performances, so we can imagine what is

happening on the other end of the phone. The way the sound is

mixed allows us to recreate the spaces in our minds and the violence

of Chrístos' situation at the airport.

ACTI ITIES

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elen solves several cases in her work. We see how emotionally involved she gets depending on who is on the other end of the phone.

What elements in the film provide information about

who Helen is?

According to what you heard, describe Chrístos'

situation at the airport.

Describe the sound of the film. Why is it so important?

Make a selection of two scenes from the film that you

consider to be related to each other.

In a text, or orally, argue your choice. Describe each of

the scenes briefly and indicate the similarities you find

between them.

ILWHO ARE THE CHARACTERS?

From a mother to a father

From what we can see, Helen is an exceptional and talented

translator. We know that she expected more of herself as a

professional, especially when confronted by a woman who

insinuates that she is wasting her talents. The reasons she

ended up working in a call centre are invisible to us, but we

still see that there is a toy we can relate to a girl in her life.

Chrístos, on the other hand, is a man in an extreme situation in

his life. His son could die soon, and taking that plane is his only

chance to see him alive one last time. The thought of his son's

death makes him erratic and aggressive.

The link between the two characters is the fact that they are

both parents. Looking at the pony and putting herself in

Chrístos' dilemma causes Helen to put all her efforts into

supporting and comforting the Greek as best she can. Helen

not only connects with Chrístos by speaking Greek, but she

connects with him by understanding his pain and how he must

feel. In the end, she goes beyond what she is expected to do

and solves the document problem by listening, understanding

and responding.

ACTI ITIES

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After hanging up the phone, Helen takes a minute to calm down as her daughter enters the room to grab her pony

Why is Chrístos so upset?

What attitude does Helen take to help Chrístos, and

how does she differ from the airport guards?

Why does Chrístos say that Helen is an angel?

In English, please list the elements in the short film

that provide information about Helen and her life.

In front of each word, write its translation into

Spanish.

ILVOCABULARY

Location:

A location is a site used for film, television or advertising

filming where the whole plot of the audiovisual product is

developed. It can be a structure, building, town, city, or natural

scenery. In the case of the short film, the location would be

Helen's office at home.

Sound effects:

A sound effect is an artificially created or enhanced sound or

sound process used to emphasize the artistic content of films,

television programs, animations, video games, music and other

media. In the short film, Chrístos' situation is recreated through

dialogue and sound effects.

Camera angles:

The camera angle is the location at which the camera is

positioned in a film. A scene can be filmed from different

camera angles; this shows the scene from another

perspective, generating diverse visualizations.

ACTI ITIES

Discover in this section basic cinematographic concepts, a sample of the vocabulary used on cinema,with definitions and examples related to the short film Happy New Year.

Make a list in English of words mentioned in the short

film. In front of each word write its translation in

Spanish.

TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION

According to Ethnologue magazine, there are around 7,117

languages in the world, and although only 600 have more

than 100,000 speakers, translation and interpretation

services have become indispensable for effective

communication between people, communities,

governments and nations in this globalized world. It is

often mistakenly thought that anyone who speaks a

foreign language can translate and interpret, but the

truth is that it is a task that requires a language

professional with communicative skills acquired through

the study and analysis of language.

Helen, the protagonist of the short film Happy New Year,

is a language professional who enables fluid

communication between people who do not speak the

same language. Her job is to be an interlocutor and

provide a translation and interpretation service to

whoever needs it worldwide. She must ensure that the

intention and meaning of the message travel without

variations from the sender to the receiver.

ACTI ITIES

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Helen works as a call-center liaison from home, providing a translation and interpreting service to whoever needs it around the world.

What exactly does Helen's work entail?

Who attends Helen's service?

What do you think are the possible job

opportunities offered by this profession?

Make a poster in which you present the main

characteristics of each of the two professions.

CONTE TAlthough at a particular moment it may seem that Helen

feels ashamed of her profession, it is not particularly easy

to provide such a service. An interpreter must have an

understanding and absolute mastery of the codes, the

structural elements, the modes of use and functioning in

specific spaces or situations of interaction in the

language. In addition, one must have the ability to

understand the language and speak, read, and write it

perfectly, which requires several years of study and

experience.

EMPATHY

The acute stress reaction or state of emotional shock is a

condition that manifests itself just after a person

experiences a traumatic or frightening event that limits the

ability to cope with their own emotions. This state has

psychological repercussions and triggers nervous,

physiological and biochemical alterations in the body. When

witnessing such a reaction in a person, empathy is

awakened, and we want to help the other person get out of

this state. However, it is crucial to know how we can do it.

Even if our intentions are good, if we are not informed, we

may end up causing more problems.

There are multiple recommendations to help a person in a

state of emotional shock. However, the primary tips include

empathy as an essential characteristic that the person

providing help must have. Helen, the protagonist of the

short film, recognizes Chrístos as her peer, understands him

and indirectly experiences his feelings of anguish. Helen's

empathy appears when Chrístos asks her if she has children

and, through a close-up of a toy, we realize that the answer

is affirmative. Added to the fact that she is an empathic

ACTI ITIES

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Helen manages to identify with Chrístos' feeling of distress, which is why she insists on helping him.

What do you consider to be the determining factor in Helen's actions so that Chrístos can find his passport?

Do you think the immigration authorities talking to Helen are empathetic? Why?

What could they have done differently to help Chrístos with his problem instead of banning him from travelling?

Make a chart in which you present the differences you find between the two times Helen and Chrístos speak.

CONTE Tbeing, she has both the cognitive and emotional or affective

ability to put herself in the emotional situation of the other.

Helen is correct in many of the behaviors and attitudes that

specialists recommend when helping someone in shock. For

example, she introduces herself and, at a certain point,

addresses the man by his name, analyzes the situation,

listens to the person and recapitulates what happened. Helen

is also direct and active and provides, as far as possible,

reassurance and calm. She tries to focus on the here and now

and never transmits false hopes, remaining truthful and

realistic.

COMMUNICATION

Communication skills in the professional environment

Nowadays, when looking for a job, it is not enough to know,

be an expert, and have experience for the work to be

performed. It is also essential to have communication skills,

even if it is not related to public relations or customer

service. Communication skills such as eloquence, coherence,

attentive listening, eye contact or cordiality will allow

professionals to enjoy their work and improve their

performance while expressing their ideas and thoughts

clearly and concisely, work successfully in a team, serve

customers, support their colleagues in specific tasks, etc.

In any profession, job or trade, communication is an

essential skill, whether it is to relate with your colleagues,

clients, or bosses, and this job is no exception.

Communication skills are an intrinsic part of the language

profession and translation and interpreting services. Helen is

not only providing customer service in which she must be

cordial, friendly and attentive; she is also exercising a

profession that requires advanced training that

demonstrates a critical awareness in the use of the

language. Because of this, she manages to navigate the

ACTI ITIES

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Chrístos achieves his goal, and Helen is happy to have been able to help him.

How would you describe Helen's type of care?How does she interact with her clients?

What communication skills do you recognize in Helen that allowed her to help them solve their problem?

Do you think you have communication skills? Which ones?

Choose a skill that you consider fundamental to the work environment and argue your choice in a short piece of writing.

CONTE Tsituation satisfactorily both professionally, empathetically,

and humanely.

At first, when the problem arises in the short film, the

protagonist is contacted only to clarify to Chrístos that he will

not travel. However, she ends up having much more impact

on the situation than the people who are present at the

airport because Helen listens attentively to what Chrístos

tells her, shows interest and willingness to help, analyzes the

problem, and only through her kind and concise words

manages to calm Chrístos down so that he can think calmly

and in detail about where he may have left his passport.

GLOSSARY OF ENGLISH TERMS

ACTI ITIES

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Discover in this section a glossary of terms in English used in the short film Happy New Year.

Read the words and expressions in the glossary and look for their definition in Spanish.

Listen and read the links proposed in the Culture and Society section.

CONTE T

Customer: /ˈkʌstəmɚ/ n. [countable]A person who purchases goods or services from another.

Buyer: buy•er /ˈbaɪɚ/ n. [countable]A person who buys; a purchaser, especially for a store.

Border control: The measures taken by a state or a bloc of states to monitor its borders and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across the border.

Here on business: In the process of doing business or something official.

Madman: /ˈmæd.mən/ n. [countable]A man who behaves in a very strange and uncontrolled or dangerous way.

Gate: /geɪt/ USA pronunciation - n. [countable]1. Any means of access or entrance.2. A passageway in a passenger terminal or pier that leads to a place for boarding a train, plane, or ship.

Predicament: /prɪˈdɪkəmənt/ n. [countable]An unpleasantly difficult situation.Eve: /iv/ n. [countable]The evening or the day before an event, especially a holiday.

1. The soft substance of an animal body between the skin and the skeleton, especially muscular tissue.2. A person's family or relatives.

Get nowhere: To make no progress despite much action and effort.

1. To go back over.2. To go back over with the memory.

Suitcase: /ˈsutˌkeɪs/ n. [countable]A piece of luggage, esp. for carrying clothes while traveling.

Trousers: /ˈtraʊzɚz/ n. [plural][countable]Clothing for the lower part of the body, having individual leg portions. Also called pants.

1. To (cause to) move or go smoothly; (cause to) slide.2. To move or go quietly or without being noticed.

Sauerkraut: /ˈsaʊɚˌkraʊt , ˈsaʊr -/ n. [uncountable] Foodcabbage cut fine, salted, and allowed to become sour.

Flesh: /flɛʃ/ n. [uncountable]

Slip: /slɪp/ v., slipped, slip•ping.

Slip away:1. To depart quietly or unobtrusively; steal off.2. To recede; slowly vanish.

Beg: /bɛg/ v., begged, beg•ging.To ask for something as a gift or as a favor.

Retrace: re•trace /rɪˈtreɪs/ v., -traced, -trac•ing.

CULTURE & SOCIETYThe following links offer online resources related to the themes of the CONTE T section.

GLOSSARY 01

GLOSSARY 01

Fleshhttps://youtu.be/aDfL9inzd30

Evehttps://youtu.be/HrwEDS1Ou6c

Predicamenthttps://librivox.org/short-story-collection-vol-061-by-various/

Madmanhttps://librivox.org/the-madman-and-the-pirate-by-rm-ballantyne/

Gatehttps://youtu.be/ai34GxYltas

Border controlhttps://youtu.be/NtY0_5vItdQ

Buyerhttps://youtu.be/SzW8TUoN01M

Customerhttps://youtu.be/V3_en3IcIas

CULTURE & SOCIETYThe following links offer online resources related to the themes of the CONTE T section.

GLOSSARY 03

GLOSSARY 04

Sauerkrauthttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3cswpt4

Trousershttps://youtu.be/Pl7siWwzibs

Suitcasehttps://archive.org/details/milliondollarsuitcase_1702_librivox

Retracehttps://youtu.be/C2vMv0KYMTw

Beghttps://youtu.be/cgiX7h-4NWk

Slip awayhttps://youtu.be/Bc9VqUUNsuo

PRESENTATION O HAPPY NEW YEAR Reading of the synopsis and the technical sheet.

ISUALI ATION O HAPPY NEW YEAR To watch the film.

CINE ATO A HIC LAN UA E OHAPPY NEW YEARAnalysis of the cinematographic language of the film: what, how, who tells, the point of view.

CONTEXT O HAPPY NEW YEAR Analysis of the context of the film.

CULTU E AND SOCIET OHAPPY NEW YEARAdditional resources related to the context of the film.

PEDAGOGICAL ROUTE

You will also find this sheet in the following link

https://www.cinescuela.org/pedagogicos/es/presentacion/happy-new-year-223091

/cinescuela.org @cinescuela_org Cinescuela.org 20 1